Hanger for a suspended ceiling



1965 R. H. SKIDMORE ETAL 3,214,127

HANGER FOR A SUSPENDED CEILING Filed Sept. 3, 1963 INVENTORS. RICHARD HVSKIDMORE 8 B{ JOHN E. JACKSON United States Patent C) Ohio Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,171 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-327) The present invention pertains to the art of suspended ceilings and more particularly to an hanger for supporting a suspended ceiling.

Recently it has become common practice to provide, in both old buildings and new buildings, a ceiling suspended from concrete beams, rafters or other such frame members which ceiling is continuous in outer appearance and provides a space below or between the rafters for water pipes, electrical conduits and other necessary, but undecorative, components of the building. these suspended ceilings are often used in older buildings, as well as in new buildings, for sound-proofing the ceiling, for lowering the ceiling or for general decorative purposes.

In the past, such suspended ceilings have been mounted onto the beams or rafters by hangers extending from the rafters in a downwardly direction and attached onto support members which support members may include furring strips or a frame for such furring strips. Various hanger constructions have been suggested; however, they have all been expensive to produce and have required a substantial amount of on-the-job labor to attach them onto the beams, rafters or other such frame members and onto the support members positioned therebelow.

The present invention is directed toward a hanger for attaching support members of a suspended ceiling onto beams, rafters, or other frame members, and toward the method of supporting the suspended ceiling by use of such a hanger.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a hanger for attaching the support member of a suspended ceiling onto a frame member, such as a rafter, comprising an elongated body having an upper and a lower end, means adjacent the upper end for securing the body onto the frame member, a bracket movable along the body and adjacent the lower end thereof, means for securing the bracket onto the support member, and means for locking the bracket in a selected position on the body.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for supporting a suspended ceiling support member onto a frame member comprising, providing an elongated hanger with an upper end and a lower end, providing a bracket on the lower end of the hanger and movable longitudinally thereon, connecting the upper end of the hanger onto the frame member, connecting the bracket onto the support member, moving the bracket along the hanger until the support member is the desired distance from the frame and, then, locking the bracket onto the hanger.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a hanger for attaching the support member of a suspended ceiling onto a frame member which hanger is economical to produce and easy to install.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hanger as defined above which includes a rod-like member and a support member receiving bracket slidably received at the lower end of the rod-like member and means for locking the bracket onto the rod-like member in the desired vertical direction.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a hanger for attaching the support member of 3,214,127 Patented Oct. 26, 1965 ice a suspended ceiling onto a frame member which hanger includes a support member receiving bracket at the lower end thereof and adjustable in a vertical direction which bracket is locked into the desired vertical position on the hanger by a crimping operation that can be done easily on the job.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an hanger as defined above wherein the bracket can be secured onto the support member by a slight force between the bracket and the member.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a hanger for attaching the support member of a suspended ceiling onto a frame member which hanger can be produced essentially of heavy gauge wire and a minimum of added hardware.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a hanger as defined above which can be installed accurately by a person possessing very little manual skill.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a method for supporting a suspended ceiling support member onto a frame member which method can be easily effected at the construction site without consuming substantial labor time and which method results in an accurately aligned suspended ceiling.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description used to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention as read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, pictorial View illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view showing the preferred embodiment of the present invention during assembly thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a partial side elevational view showing one operation in the assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention in use;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional View taken generally along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view illustrating another operating characteristic of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention only and not for the purpose of limiting same, FIGURE 1 shows a suspended ceiling A of the type used for decorative or other reasons which ceiling is spaced below frame member B by a plurality of hangers C. The frame member B is shown as a solid partition; however, it is to be appreciated that in many instances, the frame member constitutes a plurality of rafters or beams below which are provided a plurality of plumbing or electrical components such as pipes and conduits.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the suspended ceiling comprises a plurality of assembled blocks 10 which blocks may be constructed of a variety of materials such as decorative or sound-proofing panels. To assemble the blocks 10 to produce a continuous outer ceiling surface, wooden furring strips 12 are provided below a plurality of support members 14, only one of which is shown, which support members are secured onto the lower end of hanger C so that they are suspended from the frame member B. The present invention is directed toward the construction of hanger C and the method of installing the hanger between the member B and the suspended ceiling A so that the support members 14 are held at a given vertical spacing below the frame member B.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the hanger C comprises an elongated body 20 formed from a heavy gauge wire or another rod-like element and having a leg 22 defining bight 24 and a lower end 26. Adjacent the bight, there is provided an angle mounting bracket 30 having a mounting hole 31 through which leg 22 is adapted to extend so that the bracket is supported by bight 24. After so assembling the bracket 30 onto body 20, the leg 22 is forced in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 2 into engagement with the body 20 and a sleeve 32 having appropriate inner dimensions is slipped longitudinally along body 20 until it surrounds leg 22 and holds the leg against the body.

After sleeve 32 has been slipped over the body 20, it is possible to then slide a support member receiving bracket 40 over the lower end 26 of the body 20. The support member receiving bracket 40 includes an upper spring leg 42 and a lower support leg 44 spaced from each other as shown in FIGURE 6 for the purpose to be hereinafter described in detail. Also, the bracket 40 includes lugs 46, 48 for slidably receiving the lower end 26 of body 20.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, to assure that the sleeve 32 will not slide from engagement with leg 22, the sleeve is crimped at position 50 which also puts a permanent set in body 20 and leg 22. Accordingly, the bight portion 24 securely holds body 20 onto bracket 30 so that the bracket cannot be easily removed.

As so far described, the hanger C includes essentially the bracket 30 secured onto body 20 at the upper end thereof and bracket 40 slidably received on the lower end 26 of body 20. This construction is used on the job to attach the support members 14 onto the frame member B as described below.

The hanger C is aligned onto frame member B and a 'cleat or nail 52 is driven through bracket 30 and into the frame member B. This cleat or nail is preferably forced into the frame member B by an explosion actuated hammer having a tip that will support the bracket 30 in a desired position and at the same time drive the cleat or nail 52 into the frame member. In this manner, the body 20 is made to hang freely from the frame member B with the bracket 40 freely movable on the lower end 26. Following this afiixing of the hanger C onto the frame member B, the support member 14 is positioned so that the body 20 hangs to one side thereof.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the support member 14 is then positioned onto the support leg 44 of bracket 40 and then forced transversely into the bracket 40 as is shown in the solid lines of FIGURE 6. In this position, the spring leg 42 holds the support member 14 from accidental removal. As so far described, the member 14 is not supported in the vertical direction by the hanger C since the lower end 26 can freely slide within the lugs With the bracket 40 freely slidable in a vertical direction on the body 20, the support members 14 can be adjusted in a vertical direction to the proper position with respect to the frame member B. Thereafter, there is means provided for crimping the lower end 26 of body 20 to secure the bracket 40 at the desired longitudinal position on body 20, e.g. in the proper vertical position below frame member B. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lower end 26 is crimped by a tool comprising jaws 60, 62, shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 4, and a means for moving the jaws together with suitable force. These jaws have oppositely extending fingers 64, 66, 68 and 70 so that the fingers contact body 20 at spaced positions with respect to lugs 46 to crimp the body 20 at positions 80 and 82. In this manner, the bracket 40, and thus the support members 14, are positioned a predetermined vertical distance from the frame member B.

It is appreciated that various other arrangements could be provided for locking the bracket 40 in the desired position on body 20 without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the present invention. Essentially, the bracket 40 can be accurately fixed in the proper vertical position on body 20 so that the support members 14 are locked in place below frame member B. This is accomplished by an easily manipulated tool that can be used by a person having very little manual skill. The lower end 26 of the body 20 is cropped to prevent a substantial portion of the body from extending below bracket 40 after the rod-like body 20 has been crimped at positions 80, 82.

It is appreciated that the present invention has been discussed in relation to certain structural embodiments; however, various structural changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A hanger for attaching a support member of a suspended ceiling onto a frame member, said hanger comprising an elongated body having an upper and a lower end, first means adjacent said upper end for securing said body onto a frame member, a bracket movable along said body adjacent said lower end, second means for securing said bracket onto a support member, third means for locking said bracket in a selected position on said body, said third means including a crimped portion on said lower end of said body, said crimped portion preventing movement of said bracket with respect to said body, said body being a heavy gauge wire and said bracket including lugs slidably receiving said wire.

2. A hanger for attaching a support member of a suspended ceiling onto a frame member, said hanger comprising an elongated body having an upper and a lower end, first means adjacent said upper end for securing said body onto a frame member, a bracket movable along said body adjacent said lower end, second means for securing said bracket onto a support member, third means for locking said bracket in a selected position on said body, said body being a heavy gauge wire, said bracket including lugs slidably receiving said wire, and said third means comprising a crimped portion on the lower end of said wire, said crimped portion preventing movement of said bracket with respect to said body.

3. A hanger for attaching a support member of a suspended ceiling onto a frame member, said hanger comprising an elongated body having an upper and a lower end, first means adjacent said upper end for securing said body onto a frame member, a bracket having a lug slidably mounting said bracket onto the lower end of said body, said lower portion of said body being crimped with respect to said lug for limiting the downwardmost position of said bracket on said body.

4. A hanger for attaching a support member of a suspended ceiling onto a frame member, said hanger comprising an elongated body having an upper and a lower end, first means adjacent said upper end for securing said body onto a frame member, a support member, a bracket having a lug slidably mounting said bracket onto the lower end of said body, said bracket having first and second, vertically spaced, biased legs extending horizontally to fixedly connect said bracket transversely onto said support member, said lower portion of said body being crimped with respect to said lug for limiting the downwardmost position of said bracket on said body.

5. A hanger as defined in claim 4 wherein said support member includes a generally rectangular cross-section having a given vertical dimension, and said first and second legs being spaced from each other a distance less than the vertical dimension of said support member, at least one of said legs being slightly resilient in a direction away from the other of said legs, and a detent on one of said legs for holding said support member between said legs after said bracket is moved transversely onto said support member with said legs straddling said support member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 686,218 11/01 Forst 313279 1,240,283 9/ 17 Winters 248226.5 1,650,194 11/27 Deasy 189-36 Flower 24859 Carson 248226 Jacobson 248317 Rutten 248229 Gillespie 248300 Korka 248327 Modrey 189-36 Hull 189-98 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

4. A HANGER FOR ATTACHING A SUPPORT MEMBER OF A SUSPENDED CEILING ONTO A FRAME MEMBER, SAID HANGER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING AN UPPER AND A LOWER END, FIRST MEANS ADJACENT SAID UPPER END FOR SECURING SAID BODY ONTO A FRAME MEMBER, A SUPPORT MEMBER, A BRACKET HAVING A LUG SLIDABLY MOUNTING SAID BRACKET ONTO THE LOWER END OF SAID BODY, SAID BRACKET HAVING FIRST AND SECOND, VERTICALLY SPACED, BIASED LEGS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY TO FIXEDLY CONNECT SAID BRACKET TRANSVERSELY ONTO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID BODY BEING CRIMPED WITH RESPECT TO SAID LUG FOR LIMITING THE DOWNWARDMOST POSITION OF SAID BRACKET ON SAID BODY. 